Stele at the Tomb of Confucius 孔子墓
As it turns out, the Tomb of Confucius is actually here. There was a large group of tombs in the area where significant personalities seem to be buried here in the Confucius Forest. A few important disciples of Confucius and finally Confucius himself. The feeling of standing in front of the tomb of one of the most influential people in history is indescribable. One cannot help but think how his teachings have influenced generations of Chinese all around the world over the centuries. Being the one who started it all, he is said to have founded his own religion, although people would argue, Confucius included, that it is not a religion at all but rather a way of life.
The Mound Where Confucius is Buried
At same time, there was a general feeling of being underwhelmed. The Confucius Tomb was surprisingly austere and very simple. In fact, it looked just like the other tombs in the area. The only difference is that the tomb of Confucius seemed to be a little bigger than most. In addition there were a few stele erected in front of it. This itself was a surprise, as I would have expected a huge number of stele built for him. I guess most of them were put at the nearby Confucius Temple. Being a simple man during his day, I’m sure Confucius would have wanted a simple burial just like this one.
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